Secret Florence

A festival that reinvents the city

Secret Florence is one of the most original highlights of the Estate Fiorentina, the summer season promoted by the Municipality of Florence. Every year, the festival transforms the Tuscan capital into a true laboratory of contemporary art: historic cloisters, monumental courtyards, cinemas, urban spaces, and landmarks of memory become settings for discovery. The concept is simple yet powerful: every event is conceived in close relation to its host site, activating unusual spaces or reinterpreting the city's iconic landmarks through performances, concerts, and screenings.

Five international partners

The strength of Secret Florence lies in its network of organizers. The festival was born from the collaboration of five of the most dynamic and internationally recognized artistic entities operating in Florence:

• Tempo Reale, a center for musical research, production, and education founded by Luciano Berio, the project's lead partner;
• Fabbrica Europa, a platform dedicated to contemporary performing arts;
• Lo schermo dell'arte, a festival of film and contemporary art;
• Musicus Concentus, a historic institution for experimental music in the city;
• Centro Nazionale di Produzione della Danza Cango / Virgilio Sieni, a reference point for contemporary dance.

Site-specific and city-wide

The hallmark of Secret Florence is its site-specific nature: works and performances are unique, designed to exist in only one place and often at a single moment. Spectators are not just observers; they are led to discover unexpected corners of Florence, from the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella to the Convento del Carmine, from the courtyards of historic palaces like Palazzo Neroni and Palazzo Marucelli-Fenzi to the outskirts of the city. Electroacoustic music, dance, documentary film, and performing arts engage in a dialogue with the city's architecture and history.

An event for the whole city

Aimed at both Florentines and the many visitors who flock to Florence in the summer, Secret Florence offers a program that is entirely free of charge, in line with the popular spirit of the Estate Fiorentina. It is the ideal opportunity to experience the city in a new light, away from the most beaten tourist paths, and to immerse yourself in the contemporary Tuscan and international scene.